The Divergent Games VI: Personal Space
by Renee Belladonna
Summary: Renee has entered a new day, her pain from her little fight the day before relieved by medication. But the coolness she now feels in the place of her bruises has quickly faded when she takes a quick trip to the lobby and meets an unexpected acquaintance.


Last night I was given several pills. They told me that it was to make the bruises on my face disappear over night, and that they were concerned about my health. I knew why they had actually given me the medication, though. It was so that I wouldn't look ugly for the camera two days from now when I do my interview. Got to have the District 11 girl as beautiful as she was on the night of Opening Ceremonies!

I didn't sleep last night either. Since we have mental training today, I spent the hours meditating and preparing myself as best as I could. When I stopped, I would stare in the mirror for an hour and watch the bruises on my cheeks and neck slowly fade. Then I would go back to concentrating.

Groggily, I stopped about an hour before we were supposed to really wake up and took a cold shower to energize myself for the day I cannot avoid. I let the shampoos and conditioners smooth out my hair, since I don't have to break a sweat today. I lather myself from head to toe in expensive and pine smelling body soap, rinsing all my grief and tiredness away. When I step out, I press a button on the wall to dry myself quickly, and then tie my wet hair back as I cover myself in lotion, wash my face and brush my teeth. I release my hair and it's automatically blown out and brushed for me, floating gently and smoothly in dark waves over my chest. I'm about to leave the bathroom when I glance in the mirror. My eyes... They need something. I press a few more buttons on the glass and a kit of make up rises out of the sink counter top.

Years of being Dauntless stay with me as I feel the need to add some mascara to my lashes and black eyeliner to my bottom waterline. Much better. I always loved the dark look I could get from make up, and so do the other Dauntless. It only takes representing and honoring our faction a step further.

I enter my bedroom and pull on my own choice of clothes, since today we don't have to wear the expecting training apparel. I pick out a simple black button down blouse, folding the collar down and rolling the long sleeves up to my elbows. I pull on a pair of dark jeans and tuck the bottom of my top into my pants. After lacing on a pair of smoke jumper boots, I make my way over to the small glass table by the large window. After pressing a few things on the panel and giving a voice command, I wait a minute before a steaming mug of mint tea rises out of nowhere. I take it in my hands, leaving my bedroom.

I glance around a few times to make sure no one else is up in the lounging area, and to my delight, they aren't. I sneak out, making utterly no sound as I leave our apartment-type place, and head down the hallway towards the elevator.

I don't know why, but I feel like if I stayed up in the lounging area, I would be bugged by my fellow District 11 tribute, or my mentor, or my stylist or my cosmetologists. I ride the elevator down to the lobby floor, and quietly step out. As I make my way around the corner, I'm comforted by not seeing anyone. At least, until I look at all the couches and chairs in the center of the room.

Already dressed like myself, he sits there with his dirty blonde hair combed to perfection, his bright green-yellow eyes closed but I can tell he isn't sleeping. I quickly turn away, hoping he didn't hear me, and begin stepping back towards the elevator.

"Renee Belladonna," Nicanor calls after me in a calm voice, a smile being heard in his tone. "Come, sit with me."

Closing my eyes and cursing silently, I turn back around and move around the corner, meeting his eyes instantly. He smiles at me, his bright white teeth, gleaming like Blake's. My lips part a bit, and I avoid his stare as I approach him. I sit on the other side of the couch, facing him and bringing my legs up to my chest as I slowly take a sip from my mug.

"Couldn't sleep?" he questions, grinning. I nod and take another sip of mint tea. I set it down on the table and swallow, finally meeting his eyes. "Have you been thinking about my offer?" he asks with a charming smile, making me stare elsewhere once again.

"A little bit. I'm still not completely sure, though. I've always enjoyed being on my own rather than with a group." I frown, and look at my boots that sit neatly on the white sofa. What I say is true- I would probably fair worse on my own unless the arena was an orchard or something, but my death would be quick. Entering an alliance with the Careers... I would have to fight each one of the three if I wanted to win.

"We'll keep you alive. We'll hunt until there are only three of us left. You and I... I didn't want to tell the others this, but sometime during the Games, you and I could leave the alliance and fend for ourselves." I look up, because these words surprise me. My lips part even more, my blue eyes widening in shock. He just smiles at me. "You're a strong fighter, Renee. You and I are probably the best there is. We could make it back."

I begin to shake my head, but then he starts to slide closer to me. My legs droop down a bit as he crawls closer, soon hovering over me on the couch. I can't help the slightest bit of fear that shows in my eyes as I inch away, only to be blocked by the arm of the couch. He moves in closer, and soon, his hand is on mine and his other on the top of the sofa. His nose is only inches from mine, and he closes the space between us every second.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, Renee. I'm here to take you to victory." he whispers, and I swallow as he presses even closer. I can't exactly get away without looking like a weak idiot, squirming about. He's on all fours on top of me, and all I want is to roll away and race back to the elevator. His top lip has just barely touched mine when the sound of another voice brings relief.

"Am I interrupting something?" my head jolts towards Blake's voice, who leans against the wall across the room, frowning. Nicanor quickly gets off of me and returns to his original spot on the couch, rubbing his cheek a bit and avoiding Blake's glare. Wait, Blake is glaring? Isn't that like, opposing Amity standards?

"Not at all." Nicanor blurts out as I slowly sit up and catch the breath that I didn't realize I was holding until now. "We were just, uh... Conversing about battle strategies." he furrows his brows and stares at the glass table in front of the sofa, desperate for the red that has emerged on his cheeks to disappear. I am too.

"Well you'll have to do it another time, Renee needs to have breakfast. You'll probably want to get back to your loft as well, District 2." Blake says in a calm but stern voice, crossing his arms over his chest. He sends me a look and I quickly get up, leaving the mug behind as I hurriedly make my way towards him. In a way, I'm glad to be away from the scene, but I wish it could have been someone else to catch us. Nicanor nods at Blake's comment and gets up, heading the opposite direction towards another elevator. I brush past Blake and turn around the corner, rushing down the hallway towards the elevator, hoping I don't have to ride the same one as Blake. Just my luck, he's right behind me as I enter and press the eleventh button. He stands by me as we ascend upwards, and I can feel his glower my way as I stare down at my shoes.

"What the hell was that about?" he finally questions, his voice low and relaxed, but with that certain firmness that makes me know that he wants a completely honest and serious answer.

"Nothing." is my genius response, and I cross my arms and hang my head in shame. Why was Blake the one that had to intervene? And how did he know I would be in the lobby?

"That's bull, Renee. That looked nothing like a 'conversation about battle strategies'." he states, and it causes me to glance up at his flaring bright hazel eyes.

"How did you know where I was?" I ask, avoiding giving him my own answers as much as possible. But at the same time, I definitely want to know how he was there, and in the right time, too. He looks elsewhere, his expression softening. He silently swallows and then turns his eyes back to mine.

"I go to the Training Hall every morning to get a report on my tributes. I saw you two in the lobby on my way up." he gives me a hardened look, but I can tell he's hiding something.

"Did you follow me?" I ask, my brows furrowing and my lips parting in irritation. He did follow me! He must have been awake when I left. Again, he stares elsewhere and then faces the elevator door instead of me. "What the hell makes you think you have a right to invade on _my _personal life, especially when my death is days away?" I exclaim, my own eyes flaring with anger.

He opens his mouth to answer, but then the elevator doors open up on our floor and we're immediately greeted by Dalia. She steps back, he features showing surprise and relief.

"We couldn't find you two! We were about to start looking everywhere!" she states, catching her breath dramatically and placing a hand on her chest as if her heart is racing.

"Who's your we?" Blake asks calmly, looking around her to see if anyone else is around. Not even my cosmetologists are here.

"Well,_I_was about to start looking everywhere." she corrects herself, bringing on a silly smile that makes me scowl. Instead of sticking around, I push my way out of the elevator and walk quickly down the hallway, desperate to get away from the scene.

I try to contain myself, but it still seems like steam is coming out of my ears. I could feel my cheeks heating up as well. Blake seemed like a good guy- a good mentor, and then he decides to follow me? What if I didn't even go to the lobby and seen Nicanor- what if I had gone to the Training Hall or the roof or nowhere in particular, just wandered throughout the Training Center? Then what would he do? Just look like a stalker, I guess, no matter how handsome he might be. Wait- when in the hell did I start thinking of him as handsome? Yeah, he's good looking but way too old. At least, I think so. How old is he, anyway? Never mind, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm angry with him for having even the slightest nerve, the slightest thought that he could follow me to God knows where.

Nicanor... How old is he? He's go to be at least a year older than me, but probably two like Cameron. Does he know I'm only fourteen? Screw it, he probably does and doesn't care. But what I saw in his eyes... It was lust, but something else. Like he was hiding something from me- and coming from a Candor like himself, that's not a good sign.

I'm not entirely sure how I got here, I guess I walked and automatically sat down as my mind was stuck on a trail of thoughts that buzzed through my mind in repetitive sentences, but now I'm seated at the dining table in District 11's huge apartment, making sure I chose a chair away from everyone else. The whole time I sat upright with my hands in my lap, staring blankly at the collage of different breakfast foods before me. I definitely wasn't in the mood to eat after what just happened, but I know I need to ingest something. I silently sipped at a glass of milk just to make it look as if I was really there, I wasn't a lost being stuck in another world known as thoughts. But to be honest, that's how I really felt.

I had just nibbled on a piece of toast when Blake stood up from his seat and slammed his hands on the table firmly but not angrily to grab everyone's attention.

"Well, it's time for Cameron Janson and Renee Belladonna to partake in their last day of Training. Tomorrow night they'll have personal time with the Gamemakers to decide their scoring." he turns to Cameron who I sit across from, and for the first time, I realize he sits the same way as I do, and he has barely touched his food as well. His goblet of cider is empty, however. Blake bows a little and then places his hand on his heart. "I wish you both the best of luck. Bring back a decent reputation for 11." he smiles, looking at Cameron first who nods in acknowledgement, and then at me. All the others raise their glasses and do some odd formal thing where they clink them together and then take a long drink, but Blake just stares at me with a forced grin before finally sitting down and taking part in the drinking.

And that only made me want to leave this place so much more.

** End**

**Chapter 6**

** The Divergent Games**


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